Snyder Surveys Flood Damage from Police Helicopter

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Governor Rick Snyder says clean up from flash floods in Detroit will take time. He's asking people for patience as the state deploys resources to the area to help with clean up and damage assessment.

On Tuesday, he assessed the damage from a State Police helicopter. The Governor says the I-75 and I-696 corridor is one of the worst hit areas. He's asking drivers to be careful and limit their travels.

Governor Snyder says "There are still areas literally flooded with several feet of water. We're really encouraging to stick to essential travel and really think about being safe. So the main request I have of citizens in many respects is don't go around barriers. Don't drive into flooded areas because you don't know how deep it is. We want people to be safe. People are working very hard."

State Police Divers have checked roughly 70 submerged cars, looking for stranded people. MDOT has crews out inspecting roads and bridges to make sure they're safe before they are re-opened.

The floods are blamed for the deaths of two women. Firefighters say one woman suffered a medical emergency while trapped in her submerged car. A 100 year old woman drowned in her Warren basement.

Snyder says Michigan's Emergency Operations Center is activated. It will help make assessments on whether federal assistance will be needed. The operations center was activated to coordinate response with local officials.

More than 6 inches of rain fell within a few hours Monday across parts of southeastern Michigan. The Governor says the city has not seen an event like that since the 1800's.

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